~ Theology that is Approachable, Enjoyable, and Relevant

Goals for 2017

We’re three days into the new year. It’s time to declare my goals for the year. Only, this year is a bit different. I have goals, but the goals a bit different. They are more like themes that will guide me. Or maybe it’s the idea of setting up systems that will help me accomplish what I am setting out to accomplish. To keep it simple, I’ll keep calling them goals.

I actually took some time over Christmas break and mapped out these goals through 2022. Let’s get real for a moment. Do I expect everything to go according to plan? Of course not. In fact I expect that there will be changes along the way. Graduating in May and then being ordained, and starting ministry will definitely bring some changes – changes I can’t even foresee. But that doesn’t mean I just sit around and wait. Instead, I can try some things out, see how they work, and determine if they are something I will continue with.

So, here’s my goals, or themes, or systems, or whatever you want to call them for 2017:

Health – Run two half marathons in 2017. I feel as though all of my injuries from 2016 have finally healed up. I’ve been to the Y two days in a row, doing different workouts – running, cycling, lifting some weights. I’ll be getting back to outdoor running soon. The system here is that I created a schedule for myself, with what I’ll be doing each day. Part of this is also eating healthier as well. I want to weigh 165 lbs – which means as of yesterday, I will drop 14 pounds. I’d really like to drop a pound a week, which means I eat considerably less and healthier. I started this yesterday and already feel healthier. I’m glad the holidays are over for one simple fact – better eating is easier now.

Career/calling – graduate in May and be ordained. My last semester of seminary starts soon. I’ve heard from the registrar that as long as I pass the classes I have signed up for, I will graduate in May. After graduation – then it’s ordination. I’m looking forward to seeing where God will be putting me to work.

Family – several things here. Take a trip with the family for up to two weeks after graduation. We’re looking at a few options of where this might be and I’m really excited about the possibilities. I also want to play more games with them and spend open time with each one and as a group with nothing at all planned – just being present with them. Also, I’m committed to cooking a nice meal once a week – my hope is that I find enough recipes that are unique and that I learn some things from this.

Writing – yes, writing gets it’s own section. There’s a lot of things I want to write about. I’ve actually created a schedule for writing. This may be over the top, but I’ve got five different ideas that I want to write about. Here’s the thing – I don’t expect that I’ll be writing about all five by the end of the year. I do expect that I’ll be writing about three of them. I’m not sure what they will lead to, and frankly, I don’t care. I just want to write about these ideas. The topics include church, politics, and prayer. Also, I’ve been doing a bunch of social media stuff (twitter, blog, etc) that are all very focused. I want to determine what I’m keeping and what I’m shedding and then some direction of where it might be taking me. In other words, narrow in on a focus for this – probably in line with the topics I will be writing about.

I’m not sure if there is enough there for books, but definitely more than just blog posts. As I write, I’ll have to see where they go. Often I write off line on topics too – just to develop the ideas. The topics that are taking my interest right now are Christianity and partisanship, how everything I needed to know about church I learned from politics, 100 day action plan for church, something I’m calling symptoms of trust in a church, and there’s a last one that really doesn’t have a name but it floats around the idea of what it citizenship of heaven means for Christians in a very real and lived manner. Have you ever written a book? I’d love to, but don’t have an idea of what the process is really like or have any contacts of who I could pitch any of these to or what a good pitch would be.

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I believe that God, church, and theology are approachable, enjoyable, and relevant for everyone. I write about this a lot because people need to hear it. So many people feel lost, hopeless, alone, and are searching for identity and meaning.
I'm an ELCA Pastor (Lutheran) who has a background in politics, business, and the non-profit worlds. I take churchy theological ideas and words and communicate them in everyday language that people can understand, in ways that relate, and show that God, church, and theology matter a great deal. Oh, and it doesn't have to be boring either - mostly because it's the best news ever!